Kilo, 12/14/1998-11/21/2010

I’ll never forget the day I decided to make the purchase of my first dog, ever. It was February 13, 1999, and my first time away from home. I just arrived my new college, UWF, on January 4th and was still trying to get my feet wet. It was fun, but scary, and I was sad as Valentine’s Day was just the next day and I was certain the boyfriend I left behind (for all good reasons) would just forget to even call. LOL. Seems so petty now. So I gave someone at my work, Circuit City, $300 to go to Alabama and pick out an all black Chihuahua for me. The funny part is, I didn’t really care for this person. Christi, ended up becoming a very dear friend, but she bought me/picked out for me, the thing that would help me get through my crazy 20’s and on to becoming a Mommy, to children. Kilo. My best friend. Ok, Aja, my best doggie friend.

He licked all my tears, loved me even when I forgot to take him out on time, and most of all, went anywhere I went, without so much as a peep. He loved me. He really loved me. He slept with me, in my bed, from the moment I brought him home. It started with him curled up in my neck. Then he worked his way down to my hot tummy, and soon when he met his Daddy, he ended up between my legs…but always under the covers with me. He was MY dog. There is NO denying that. Not even a little.

I can remember his crazy ways of running laps in my apartment. My friends would laugh at how fast he was and how the slightest thing would send him into this mode and we’d all just stop and watch. Dad recalled this memory today just after he passed on. I haven’t thought about those moments in so long. Kilo would have been 12yo next month, and lets face it, he hasn’t ran laps in a long time.

I also remember the first time Daddy really met Kilo. He came to me and Aja’s apartment and brought us both milkshakes. Little did he know, I share everything with Kilo. So Kilo had some, and snuggled up between the two of us on the couch. Daddy didn’t have his own pet at this time, and took an immediate liking to Kilo. If I had to work late, and Aja wasn’t home, Daddy would be the one to come over and take care of him. Once me and Daddy decided to make it official and get married, even his parents welcomed Kilo into their home while we would go away on vacations. He was a wonderful dog. And everyone loved him.

The last time he had a great time with other dogs was just this past June. Where our next door neighbors took him over to their parents house and there were 10 other dogs there. From what we hear, Kilo had a blast. But, from the day he came home, his health slowly dissipated. He began losing a lot of weight, you know for a dog who started at 12.3lbs, and went down to 10’ish, and then his tummy began to grow. We think it at least doubled if not tripled in size over the past 2mths. He most likely had a tumor growing, but we opted not to do xrays, we knew it was going to come time soon enough.

Today when we woke up, Kilo was hardly breathing. He was really struggling to get air in and finally we noticed he was sitting in his own feces. Daddy put him in the bath while I washed his favorite blanket. I wanted him to go in with his blanket. He’s had it since the day I brought him home, 11yrs ago. Joey and Dana bought me the blanket in Mexico and he claimed it the moment he arrived at my apartment.

We arrived at the ER Animal Hospital just before noon today. We filled out some paper work, decided to have him cremated and that I wanted to be with him. I held him the whole time. When the doctor came in, we laid him on the table, wrapped in his blanket, and I held his face in my hands. I kissed his nose (just as I always did when he had shots), and told him I loved him. It was the hardest 30seconds of my life. Then he was gone. In my hands, lifeless. Daddy and I held each other tight, kissed him goodbye, and made sure he was wrapped nicely in his blanket.

Kilo, there was never a day I couldn’t count on you. From the moment we met, you loved me just as much as I loved you. We were besties till the end. The day we found out we were pregnant with Ashton, it was like you knew. You watched me more carefully and when my belly began to grow, you would lay on it while Ashton would kick away. We were concerned how you would be Ashton (then Ethan and eventually Eli) when we brought him home. But you were nothing short of terrific. Ethan and you were best buds. E loved to kiss you and today when I told him to kiss you goodbye, without hesitation, he walked out of my room, found you in the computer room, and gave you a sweet kiss. He loved you. We all loved you.

I sent you on your way today in hopes for a better tomorrow. I can only pray that you feel no more pain and you immediately meetup with Quinn, your other brother. I’m certain you’ll notice him as he is identical to Ethan and probably hard to miss….the cutest of the bunch 🙂 Popi Miller is there too. Go to him. He’ll make sure you have something yummy in your belly tonight at dinner.

I’m sure I’ll shed many more tears. Especially when I need someone to talk too. You were a great listener. But in my heart, we did what was best.

So Kilo, I leave you with this, we love you. We’ll always love you. And one day, we’ll meet again. Until then, have fun chasing your tail, and be sure to give your brother lots of kissin’ licks! Remind him that Mommy loves him too.